The New Orleans Saints lost a household name in free agency, but they're bringing back a familiar face to fill the void.
The Saints have agreed to terms with former draft pick Kaden Elliss, according to a report from the NFL Network, with the 30-year-old linebacker having spent the past three seasons with the Falcons. The deal is reportedly for 3 years, $33 million.
The splash signing is the latest in a frenzied free agency cycle for the Saints, with players headed in both directions. The Saints were in need of linebacker help after Demario Davis agreed to a big-money deal with the New York Jets, while CB Alontae Taylor departed for a lucrative deal with the Tennessee Titans.
The Saints' acquisitions were just as notable, landing standout RB and Louisiana native Travis Etienne, former Bills guard David Edwards and former Vikings punter Ryan Wright on 4-year deals. They've also signed TE Noah Fant to a 2-year deal. All the above contracts were negotiated during the "legal tampering" period and can't be finalized until the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
The Saints have also swung a trade to send last year's punter Kai Kroeger to the Texans for a late-round pick swap in the 2028 draft, according to NewOrleans.football.
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The reunion will be an exciting one for the Saints and Elliss, a former Idaho Vandal whom the Saints selected No. 244th overall in 2019. Elliss saw limited work early in his career and was beset with injuries. He saw his first significant run in 2022 when he stepped in for an injured Pete Werner and started 11 games, rolling up 78 tackles and 7 sacks, which ranked second on the roster. That performance raised his profile on the free agent market and he cashed in on a three-year deal with the Falcons. During his run with Atlanta he appeared in all 51 possible games and logged 380 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 29 TFLs, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.
He'll rejoin Werner on a Saints roster, though it will remain to be seen which of those players will ultimately take on the communication role of the mike linebacker. The Saints also have young, developing players at the position in Danny Stutsman, Jaylon Ford and Isaiah Stalbird.